Broken Fort
by LittleDemonInside
Summary: Post-Carnival with minor changes. One-shot. "... And she's the first person to ever tell me thank you." NaoFumi Friendship


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mai Hime.

The things I changed are one: Nao doesn't become a nun (who honestly sees her becoming a nun? oO;), two: I can't remember if Nao's mom doesn't come out of her coma at the end

Now, this probably seems like a weird pairing to become friends but I thought, 'Eh, why not?' and this is what I came up with. Enjoy. =)

* * *

Finally, the Hime Carnival was over. No more Obsidian Lord, no more battling and no more killing. Over the days, people started to recover and slowly regain the trust they once had for one another. People went back to their normal lives and lived life as if the event never happened, hoping that over time, it would all be forgotten.

_Naïve fools. Even if you forget about it, it'll never go away. Shit happens, and you have to live with it._

While everyone was adjusting back to normal life, there was one redhead that was still in a bitter state of mind. In fact, with her mother still recovering in the hospital, things have gone back to exactly the same way Nao Yuuki had remembered them: alone to fend for herself.

Sharp green eyes glared about the garden, inwardly scoffing at all the 'lovey-dovey' couples that just so happen to be there the same time Nao arrived for quiet time.

She turned her head away when her gaze fell upon a glimpse of Akane and her 'Kazu-kun.' She shivered, cursing her acute hearing when they started to compare each other to the night sky and other over-cliché things. Her irritation grew and a soft growl escaped her lips as she closed her cell phone, not able to take another love filled moment.

Who needs love? Her mom was back, albeit still recovering in the hospital, and that was all she needed. Anything else would just drag her down.

She pushed herself off the wall, stuffing her cell phone into her uniform's jacket pocket. She started to walk back toward the main building of campus, sauntering slightly in her stride. As she entered the main glass-domed building, she noticed the ribbons on the railing.

Yep, spring was definitely in the air.

She smirked at the colorful display. _If you want anything in life, you have to take it for yourself. Wishing never got anyone anywhere._

She started down the large hallway, her hands stuffed in her pockets, playing with one of her cell phone straps. Her eyes weren't focused on anything as she walked, ignoring the stares and gossip that started once she walked past her fellow students. _Feh, let them talk. Like they really know anything._

As the days drew farther and farther away from the day marking the Festival's end, Nao started to grow more and more anti-social. She was skipping school more often and even started pranking. What was the point of attending school anymore now that the Hime period of her life was over? She could quit school and get a job to pay for her mom's hospital bills, so she really didn't see the point.

That being said, she smirked as she walked into the girl's bathroom, pulling out a few m-60s (firecrackers) out of her pocket as she passed through the door. "Time to finish the day off with a bang," She muttered as she walked into the first stall. She lit them and one by one, dropping a bomb into each of the porcelain bowels.

She ran toward one of the small windows and agilely climbed up, easily fitting through the window with her small form. She smirked as she landed on her feet like a cat, and started to run away from the scene of the crime.

After a few seconds, they started to consecutively set off with a satisfying 'bang.' _Music to my ears,_ Nao snickered as she began her trek toward the dorm rooms.

Just then, the intercom came on with its distinctive melodic dings, "Thank you, Reito-kun." The chipper voice came from the speakers located throughout campus. There was some clearing of the throat before any more words came, "Ah yes, could Yuuki Nao please come to the Director's room? Yuuki Nao, please come to the director's room…" There was a pause in the announcement. "… Er, Reito-kun," The voice continued, trying desperately to whisper, obviously not to be heard. (Which was clearly in vain.) "How do you turn this off?"

"Take your finger off the button, Gakuenchou." Kanzaki's voice was distant, as if he was standing farther away in the room.

"Ah, yes. Right." The chime happened once again, signaling that the announcement was over.

The redheaded middle schooler rolled her eyes. _Should I go or shouldn't I? Decisions, decisions… _She finally decided, shrugging to no one as she stuffed her hands into her pockets once more. _The worst they could do is kick me out of school, _She thought with a smirk.

* * *

"So, you called for me?" Nao asked, sitting herself in the chair in front of the desk. She crossed her legs and arms, resting them under her chest.

She had let herself in and walked across the wide room labeled 'Director's Office.' She was vaguely surprised at the amount of paperwork on the wooden desk, but dismissed it. The sun was starting to set.

"Ah, Nao-chan!" An unmistakably female voice said from the other side of the desk, apparently just noticing Yuuki at that moment. "Welcome!" Fumi Himeno beamed with a smile. She was wearing her business clothing, a maroon suit; no maid outfit in sight.

"Could you just get to the point? Why am I here?" Nao asked, her already small patients wearing thin.

"Oh, yes, right. I suppose you would want to know why you were called, wouldn't you?" She smiled as she continued, "Since the, um… Carnival's ending," Nao smirked as she noticed the uneasiness Principle Himeno displayed at the mere mention of the event, "your grades have been dropping, you've been skipping more and more, and you've been vandalizing the school." The smile dropped into a concerned look, "In fact, I just got a call saying that the girl's bathroom in the main entrance hall has been the victim to what seem to be bombs."

"M-60s," Nao smirked.

Fumi sighed, her face looking troubled as she scanned the folder in front of her, "So you _were_ the one who bombed the bathroom…" Her soft voice trailed off for a bit. She turned back to the middle schooler, an ironic and sad smile on her face, "It's almost as if you and Natsuki-chan switched places."

Green eyes darkened immediately, giving a hateful glare, startling the Director, "Don't compare me to the Kaichou's lap dog."

Once Fumi recovered, she gave Yuuki a sad smile, "I'm sorry you feel that way," She said, sounding sincere.

_I'm so sure you're sorry,_ Nao scoffed in her mind. Her face didn't give away any of her thoughts. _And I'm sure you'll be so sorry when you and your sorry-filled co-workers kick me out of this academy. Then all your sorry-filled rejoicing will begin now that Nao Yuuki has been sent away from this sorry excuse of a school. Please, spare we the fake sympathy and expel me already._

When the younger redhead didn't reply, the older redhead continued, "Nao-chan, as principle, I have to say that this behavior is unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue. Therefore, I have come up with a suitable punishment for you," She paused, waiting for it to sink in.

Nao merely rolled her eyes and tapped her suspended-in-air foot impatiently. _C'mon, it doesn't take that long to say 'You're hereby expelled from Fuuka Academy'._

"And so you will be working here everyday as my assistant and maid," Fumi beamed.

Nao blinked once, twice, thrice… "What!" She exclaimed, leaning forward in her chair and staring at the principle incredulously.

Fumi slowly unplugged her ears, "Ow. Must you yell so loudly? Words echo in this house, you know," She said softly.

"What do you mean 'assistant and maid'!" Nao yelled once more, completely ignoring Himeno's last words. Her hands gripped the edge of the desk as she stood against it, leaning in.

Fumi beamed once more, "Well, discipline usually helps in situations like these!" She then took a thoughtful pose, "Well, that and I need someone to help me with all the work I recently acquired when I became the Director."

Nao took a deep breath and slowly let it out, a smirk appearing on her face, "And you think I'll just lie down and take it?" She chuckled before turning around and walking toward the door. She waved over her shoulder, "'Later, much."

"Well, it's either this or become the school's new janitor for the bathrooms," Fumi replied to the retreating figure, making Yuuki stop.

Nao pivoted on her feet, turning back around to glare across the room, "And becoming your maid is that much better?"

"This place is very private, Nao-chan. Barely anyone will see you. Plus, humiliation is a fact of life. If you learn to deal with it when you're younger, a lot of the hard bumps in your life will be easier to overcome."

The younger redhead could feel her anger start to boil as her hand clenched, "Why not just save yourself the trouble and expel me? Then you wouldn't have to deal with me at all!"

Fumi tilted her head slightly to the side, a small, sad smile adorning her face once more, "And what will expelling you accomplish, Nao-chan? Neither of us will gain from it and you'll neither learn nor gain any valuable experiences."

Yuuki fell silent, her judging eyes staring intensely at the Director as she mulled over this. _Why would she want to help me, the 'delinquent' of the school, without wanting anything in return? It doesn't make any sense._

"Please, Nao-chan?" The older redhead asked.

At that one word, Nao's mind blanked, all the anger melting away. She turned her head away, her fists clenching once more as she frowned into the distance. The air was heavy for a minutes or two until Nao sighed heavily, "Fine, whatever. It's not like I have anything else to do with my spare time."

Fumi beamed once more, standing up and clapping her heads together, "Alright then! Follow me!" She said, more than happy to have an assistant.

* * *

"Whoa…" Nao did a double-take as she walked into the drawing room, the sight of such a large scythe hanging over the mantel of the fireplace stunning her for a couple seconds. She looked around, viewing the rest of the room:

The first thing she noticed (after the large scythe) was how home-y the room felt. She'd seen a lot of these rooms in movies, but they weren't usually lit well and had a 'you aren't rich enough to be here' look to them. This one contradicted the previous by being very bright and inviting. The décor, while still not being as simple as normal house furniture, wasn't flamboyant and eye-catching.

Fumi smiled a knowing, bright smile, as if she had gotten this reaction many times before,."Please, come in and sit," She said before walking over to a nearby cabinet. Nao did just that.

Nao watched as Fumi's face turned distraught, running her fingers by the contents in the cabinet. "Nao-chan," The Director called.

"Yeah?"

"Pick a number between one and twelve."

"Um, seven."

Himeno smiled brightly as she picked up a packet and walked back toward the seats in the room. She placed it on the table and started for the door. "Please wait a bit," She said before walking through.

Curiously, Nao turned the small package to see what was inside, "… Tea?" She looked over to the cabinet, _Wait, so that's all different flavors of tea?_ Nao thought, slack-jawed. _… I think Fujino has been out-tea'd._

"Sorry to make you wait," Fumi came back through the door with a tray of chinaware accompanied by a box and an apologetic smile. She then noticed Nao's stare and sighed, "I know. Twelve is much too many, but there are so many flavors I can't help but buy them all! Then I can't choose when tea time comes around," Fumi said with distressed expression on her face. She then grinned brightly, "So I had you choose for me!" She started to prepare the tea, "Would you like a cup?"

"Sure," Nao replied, not sure of what to make of all of this.

"Speaking of tea, it'll be one of the first things you learn to make as the new maid," The older redhead said, not looking up from what she was doing.

Emerald eyes frowned, _Figures…_ She glanced back at the scythe, "Um, Gakuenchou?"

"That's wrong, Nao-chan?"

Nao glanced back to see a smug smile on the Director's face, causing her to second guess her vision. _I don't think I've ever seen her look smug._ "What?"

"If you're going to become my maid, you're going to have to address me as Himeno-sama," The grey-eyed woman explained.

Yuuki immediately glared, "What!"

The smug look was gone when Fumi saw that Nao was insulted, "Please, Nao-chan. I'm not trying to insult you. I'm just stating some rules. You know I wouldn't lie about something like this."

_She was once a maid too. So probably takes work this like seriously…_ "Tch," Nao turned her glare to the nearby fireplace when she realized Fumi wasn't lying. She tightened her fists into balls as she tried to release her anger, "Himeno-… sa… ma…" She growled out, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her ego had just taken a huge blow.

Fumi clasped her hands together, "Very good!" She praised sincerely.

The middle schooler's cheeks pinked a little at the praise she wasn't use to hearing, "I still don't like it," She mumbled, almost sounding as if she didn't mean it. "Anyway," She started, looking back at her new charge, eager to change the topic. "What's that scythe there for?" She jerked her head lightly in the weapon's direction to point to it.

Grey eyes, holding what seemed like a limitless amount of mirth in them, shone brightly, "Oh, that's right. You never knew my element was a scythe, did you? Well, every now and then, I get an itching to use a scythe again, so I take it down and perform with it for a while." The Director giggled at how silly that sounded.

Then the smile turned melancholy, bewildering Nao, "It was a gift from Mashiro-sama before she left."

Nao's eyes widened. _Wait, 'left'? As in, not here? I thought she merely retired, but she left? _Nao silently gasped as she came upon a realization. The principle's Most Important Person left her here alone! The younger redhead instinctively looked around. _I was wondering why the previous Director was nowhere to be found…_

_She has it worse off than I do… _Nao realized.

Yuuki looked back to see Fumi still lost in melancholy. She started to bit her bottom lip anxiously. _Shit, she's still dwelling on it._ She finger tapped impatiently on the plush armrest, _Think of something else to talk about!... Er… _"Oh yeah!" She said out loud, causing the older redhead to look at her in confusion.

"You said you needed someone to help with the paperwork before right? Why not just let the student council take care of it?" Nao brought the conversation to a different topic smoothly.

"Oh… um," Fumi looked away, looking embarrassed. "The truth is that the student council is already taking up more work than usual."

Nao blinked. _Then what was all that paperwork on the desk?_

"I'm so new at this that I can't seem to get anything right!" Himeno started to ramble. "I can't speed-read through documents, I can't figure out what constitutes a good deal (Shizuru-chan or Reito-kun usually step in for those kind of things) and I can't seem to file anything without forgetting where or how I filed it! I never knew it was this much work!" She ended with a pout.

Nao could feel her eyebrow threaten to twitch, _She sounds like a child complaining about having too much homework…_

"So, in the end, the student council thought it would be a good idea for me to get an assistant. That's where I got the idea to have you work for me! You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and that'll really help!" Himeno finished with a bright smile. "Here you go!" She said, two seconds later, handing the middle schooler a teacup filled with tea.

Yuuki raised an eyebrow, _'Good head on my shoulders'?... That's one way to put it,_ She thought as she took the offered item and started to drink. "What's in the box?" She asked, the pink colored box on the silver tray finally catching her attention.

Fumi's smile couldn't be brighter if she tried, "Oh this?" She asked, seeming eager to answer. "These are tea cakes!" She said in a jovial manner as she untied and took off the box's top. She took one of the cakes out, using a napkin, and plopped it into her mouth. She squealed in delight as she munched on the small cake. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth, "Would you like one, Nao-chan?"

"N-no…" Yuuki leaned back in her chair, a shocked and slightly disturbed look on her face as she watched the scene happen again once Himeno placed another cake in her mouth ("Delicious!" Fumi cheered in approval.) _Am I watching someone indulge in a guilty pleasure? Nao _thought, not knowing how right-on-target her thoughts were.

Nao took a sip of her drink.

Fumi finally humbled herself and smiled at her new assistant, "Now, I have your maid uniform ready."

Nao promptly spewed out her drink.

A million curses ran through her head at once before she finally yelled out in fury, "Like hell you're going to get me into a maid outfit!" _Why does she already have one for my size? It's like she assumed I would take the job!_

Himeno recovered from dodging the tea, "Nao-chan, please. You have to at least look the part."

"No, I don't."

"But look how cute it is!" Fumi gushed, pulling it out from behind her chair and laying it out on her body so it wouldn't get wrinkles.

Nao's eye twitched as she looked at it, _So… many… frills…_ "I'll die before I wear that!" She exclaimed, pointing at the offending clothes.

"Now, now, Nao-chan…"

"And don't play with my name!"

The Director sighed and slowly got up, a determined look on her face…

* * *

Nao stood in her new maid outfit, feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. _Himeno-sama can be tough and persuasive if need be…_ Nao made a mental note, not noticing she used the 'sama' honorific in her thoughts.

"You look so cute!" Fumi gushed at the sight. "I knew you'd look adorable with it on, but I didn't expect it to be this adorable! You look like a doll!" Fumi's normally high voice went up an octave as Nao's cheeks went down a couple shades of pink.

_Again with the praises…_ Nao was looking away. Her thoughts were suddenly jerked from her when she felt something embrace her.

"Oh~ You're just too cute!" Fumi giggled happily, hugging her new maid tightly.

Yuuki's eyes widened before narrowing. She pushed away the taller woman, "Don't. Touch. Me." She said in a solid voice, holding the woman at arm's length.

Fumi pouted slightly, her vision downcast, "You're right, Nao-chan. I'm sorry. I just got caught up and got ahead of myself. Forgive me."

Nao looked up at her new charge and suddenly felt… guilty? "Uh… yeah, as long as you have that clear." She dropped her arms, "So, about this new job… How long will it be? Hours and such…" She said, trying to keep the conversation going. She hated awkward silences, unless she was the one who caused them, of course.

"Yes, right, about that," Fumi continued, "You'll be working from six in the morning until eight at night. You'll come in and make tea while I make us breakfast (I'll eventually teach you how to cook as well.) During lunch, you'll basically do the same thing, plus tasks I need done, and after school you'll help me with my work, clean the house and many other chores."

Nao gapped, "That's child labor!"

"I prefer to call it, 'keeping-Nao-chan-busy-so-she-doesn't-have-time-to-even-think-about-pranking-my-school'!" Himeno beamed. Before Nao could protest further (and Fumi was quite sure she was going to, judging by the look on her face), the principal picked up a fairly large manila folder and handed it to the younger redhead.

Nao, forgetting her temper tantrum for a moment, looked at the folder she was offered, "What's this?"

"Your first task."

"Already?" Nao looked at the principle incredulously. _This woman's a slave-driver!_

Grey eyes twinkled in mirth at the expression they were receiving, "Don't worry. It's a simple one. Deliver this to the council room, please. There's a red bycicle parked outside the mansion should you want to use it- I bought it so you can get around faster."

Nao's gaze switched back and forth from her charge to the folder, then smirked, "Easy!" She boasted before walking toward her clothes.

"Ara?" Fumi her head to the side, "Where are you going, Nao-chan? The door's the other way."

"To change," Nao stated, as if it was obvious.

"No you aren't." Blunt, matter-of-factly.

Nao turned and glared sharply at the Director when she got what Himeno was hinting at, "You want me to deliver in this getup? You said no one would see me, and yet you send me to the council room!" Her practically hollered the words.

"Yes." Fumi nodded her head, "Remember what I was talking about before?"

"Why should I care if I have to 'look the part'!" Green eyes blazed with rage.

"Not that part. If you learn how to deal with humiliation now, you'll be better equipped for the future. The world isn't all lollipops and rainbows- it can get pretty rough. I'm just trying to hel—"

"I know that already!" _Mama, the only family I have who hasn't cast me aside, is in a coma right now! Don't lecture me about how 'rough' life can get!_ "Fine! I'll do it if it'll make you shut up!" She yelled, stomped toward the door, forcefully opening it and slamming it shut behind her. She stormed down the hall as the person still inside the drawing room sighed, wondering if her seemingly never-ending patients was a really blessing or not.

* * *

Nao had calmed down after racing down the hill on the bike -one hand keeping the over-stuffed folder closed and the other on the handle bar- and sorting out her thoughts. She was currently walking toward the student council room, her steps solid and the folder in her left hand, her head held high. There's no way she'd let something like this win over her.

She stopped in front of the door and brought up her hand to knock. She hesitated as thoughts started to pop into her head: _What's stopping me from dropping this folder, taking off this stupid maid outfit and high-tailing it out of here? I don't have to do this. If she has so much work, she should work harder!_ The fort she made after the Carnival, the fort she used to protect herself from getting emotionally hurt, stood strong.

She was about to take her hand away when something else popped into her head: _'Please, Nao-chan.'_

… _No one ever even thinks of asking me for favors. No one's ever tried to reach out. And we're kind of alike, if I think about it. Her Most Important Person left her alone while mine can't ever respond, no matter how much I try. She looked so lonely when thinking about the former Director… She must be going through the same things I am…_

The fort cracked.

Nao's eyes frowned in determination, knocking the door harder and louder than necessary.

"Come in," A distinct Kyoto-ben accent came from the other side.

She pushed the door open, looking at two expectant pair of eyes as they fell upon her.

"Pfft!... Ahahahaha—!" Natsuki continued her hysterical laughter, looking at Nao: maid edition. Her eyes started to tear up only three seconds after she started, gripping her stomach, doubled-over in laughter.

Yuuki glared at Kuga before moving on when it wasn't acknowledged. She walked toward Fujino's desk and put the papers on the desk with a 'thump.' "These are for you," She stated, her face emotionless.

"Ookini, Yuuki-san," Shizuru smiled. Nao then noticed a particular glint in those red eyes as Shizuru smirked a little, "Ara, Gakuenchou said something about a surprise, but I never imagined this," She said, clearly enjoying the scene.

"Well then, I guess you aren't as all-knowing as everyone thinks you are, huh?" Nao smirked. She then noticed something move behind Shizuru's eyes. The Kaichou's face didn't physically change, but Nao could tell something definitely changed- the amused glint was gone and was replaced with something darker. Irritation, maybe? Nao's smirk broadened at this.

"Oi, Nao," Yuuki turned around to see a red-face Natsuki catching her breath. The said biker held up her tea cup to Nao and wiggled it slightly, "Mind refilling it for me, I'm getting low." She had a wolf's grin on her face, obviously out to instigate.

Nao chose to simply ignore Kuga and walked past, heading toward the door.

"What's the matter, spider?" The smirk had dropped down to a smug smile, "Too embarrassed to say anything?"

Nao opened the door and turned back to Kuga with a smirk of her own, "No, I just don't want to get any dog slobber on my new uniform." She closed the door, a triumphant grin on her face as she started back down the hall.

It only grew larger when she heard Natsuki start to growl angrily back in the council room.

* * *

"I'm back. Happy now?" Nao asked, walking through the door.

"Yes, very," Fumi smiled, "You're dismissed for the rest of the day."

"Thank God!" Yuuki grabbed her clothes and headed for the door.

"Wait, Nao-chan."

The younger redhead frowned, turning around to her charge, "You just said I was dismissed. You can't give me a task after saying that," She looked accusingly at the older redhead.

Himeno giggled a little, shaking her head. "This isn't another task." She picked up a small, white envelope from her desk and walked over to hand it to Nao. "This is your paycheck."

Nao blinked, looking from the Director to the envelope. _I'm being paid?_ She moved her clothes onto her arm so she could use both hands to open it. She pulled out its contents, her eyes widening when she saw what it was. _H-holy—!_ "Fifty-thousand yen?" She looked back to Fumi, dumbfounded.

"This is what you'll be getting paid weekly. This one is in advanced for taking the job," The Principle smiled.

"But… why…?" Nao looked lost, her hands trembling slightly as she held the bills.

"Well, I know your mother's in a coma, and her on-going treatment is going to cost money, so I figured you could earn some cash to help pay for it."

"Y-yeah… thank you," She said, feeling awkward. Was this woman in front of her honestly offering to help her pay for her mom's hospital bills? She turned toward the door, trying to make a speedy exit before the older redhead did anything else to baffle her.

"Oh, and one more thing."

Nao paused at the words, slowly turning around to her charge, "… What?" She tried not to show the hurricane of emotions going on inside her.

Fumi clasped her hands behind her back and smiled vibrantly. The, bright setting sun illuminated her like a bright orange aura, "Thank you, Nao-chan."

Nao's eyes widened. _Thank… you…_

The fort broke.

The whirlwind of emotions she was holding back suddenly came forth. She felt to her knees and started sobbing, gripping the material of her apron harshly. _No one's ever said thank you to me before…_

The Principle gasped at Nao's emotional breakdown. She got out her handkerchief and ran over, starting to wipe the tears away.

_This weird woman… She offers me a job with pay. She praises me and gives me advice. She asks for things, not demanding them of me. She doesn't belittle me- all this for someone she barely knows…_

… _She's the first person to ever tell me 'thank you'._

By now, Nao couldn't even hear the Director's comforting and worry-filled words and just let the tears flow, _Himeno-sama… I'll let you see me at my weakest for now, but mark my words, I'll build a another fort- a better one._

_I dare you to try and break it down._

Er, to explain Nao's little break down: after being alone to fend for yourself for so many years, and then someone shows you so much kindness in the span of three hours, you're bound to get overwhelmed too. X33

* * *

I tried to keep Nao in character as much as I could, but she's a rather tough character to figure out so I can only hope that I did a good job. XP This is this story's rewrite so this is what's staying, thanks for reading. X3

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. =)


End file.
